Sulphur-furnace



(No Model.)

C. H. FISH.

SULPHUR FURNAGE.

1 No. 451,651. Patented May 5,1891.

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PATENT' EErcE CHARLES HENRYFISH, OF MANCHESTER, NET HAMPSHIRE.

SULPHUR-FURNACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 451,651, dated May 5,1891.

Appncaionfnea :December 3,1890. 'semina 373,933. (Nomade.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES HENRY FISH, of Manchester, county ofIflillsborouglnState of New Hampshire, have invented an Improvement inFurnaces for Burning Sulphur, of which the following description, inconnection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification,likeletters on the drawings representing like parts.

My invention relates to a furnace forburning sulphur for the productionof sulphur fumes to be used in making sulphuric acid. Furnaces for thispurpose as heretofore made consist of a long horizontal tight chamber,which may be made of cast-iron, and which has at one end a feed-doorthrough which the sulphur to be burned is introduced and at the other orrear end an outlet-opening connected with a pipe or duct through whichthe fumes produced by burning the sulphur are led away. These furnaceshave heretofore been made tightat their rear or discharge ends, andconsequently the accumulations or dirt or ash arising from thecombustion of the sulphur, which usually contains more or lessimpurities, have to be withdrawn through the feed-door at the front ofthe furnace, an operation which interferes with the proper burning ofthe sulphur and is also attended by a considerable waste of the sulphurwhich has been previously introduced into the furnace and partly burned.

The object of the present invention is to produce a furnace having meansfor theremoval of the ash or accumulation or dirt without interferingWith the burning of the sulphur and also without producing any waste. Toaccomplish this result, the furnace embodying this invention is providedwith an ash -receptacle at the rear of the furnace proper, in which thesulphur is burned, into which receptacle` the dirt or ash is carriedduring the operation of the furnace, and from Which the said accumulatedash may be removed from time to time through a suitable opening providedwith a cover or door. By this construction the furnace may be fed Withfresh sulphurV from time to time at the front end, thepreviously-introduced and partially-consumed sulphur being graduallycarried toward the rear end and the dirt or ash being carried along withit and delivered from the rear end into the ash-receptacle, from whichit is removed from time to time as it accumulates in sufficientquantities.

Figure 1 is a side'elevation of a furnace for burning sulphur embodyingthis invention; Fig. 2, a longitudinal section thereof; Fig. 3, a frontend elevation; Fig. et, a rear end elevation, and Fig. 5 a transversevertical section.

The main portion or body a of the furnace maybe of usual Construction,being a long substantially horizontal chamber or drum having an archedtop and flat bottom, which latter is depressed for the greater portionof its length below the level of the openings at the ends of the drum,as best shown in Fig. 2, the said bottom rising by gradual inclines d2a3 toward the said openings.

At the forward end the furnace provided with a mouth-piece I), havingthe feed-door c, which rests against an inclined seat, as shown,

and is provided with a lifting cord or chain c2,

passing over pulleys ci; and provided with a counter-weightc4, to enableit. to be raised for the purpose of opening the front of the furnace topermit the sulphur to be fed in. The said door c has an opening c5 (seeFig. 3) for the admission of air to support the combus` tion 0f thesulphur, which when ignited melts and burns on the floor of the furnacein a semi-duid condition, being prevented from flowing out by theinclines a2 a3 near the ends of the ioor.

The furnace is supported in a slightly-inclined position, With the rearor outlet end a little below the level of the mouth-piece b, throughwhich the fuel is fed, as shown by reference to the horizontal dottedline, Fig. 2, so as to give the fuel a slight tendency to move from thefront toward the rear end of the furnace, and as the sulphur burns, thesand, dust, or earthy impurities, constituting a kind of ash, willbecome separated from the sulphur, which is itself entirely consumed.The ash resulting from the impurities has to be removed from time totime as it accumulates, and in furnaces of this kind as heretoforeconstructed it has had to be removed from the front or feeding end ofthe furnace, thus necessitating the keeping of the feeddoor c open, andthereby greatly interfering with the proper burning of the sulphur,'and

IOO

also involving a considerable waste of the sulphur, which is withdrawnwith the ash during the cleaning process. 1n order to obviate thisobjection, the furnace herein shown is provided with a supplementalchamber d, connected with the rear end of the furnace and provided withthe outlet-opening (Z2, to which the duct for carrying away the fumes isconnected. The main bodyof the chamber d is on the level with theoutlet-opening of the main body @of the furnace,but it is provided atits bottom with a depressed chamber or receptacle e, having an opening,shown in this in# stance as made at the end, which is provided with aremovable cover e2, which normally stands in position to close the saidopening, and thus prevent communication between the inside of thesupplementary chamber d and the external air. The supplementarychamber dwith the receptacle @receives the ash, which is gradually separated fromthe sulphur as the latter is consumed and is pushed to the rearward inthe furnace, said ash collecting in the receptacle e, from which it maybe removed from time to time, as required, by opening the cover el andraking or drawing out the ash.

In the operation of the furnace the fresh sulphur is introduced asrequired through the door cand tends to displace the sulphur that isalready burning, which thus gradually moves tothe rearward in proportionas the fresh material is fed in at the front, the ash being carriedalong toward the rear and up the incline a3 into the chamber d, where itsettles in the receptacle e substantially free from sulphur, and fromwhich it is removed from time to time, as before stated. By thisconstruction the feed-door c does not have to be kept open for any greatlength of time, it being necessary to open it only while the newmaterial is being introduced and the previously partially-consumedsulphur and ash pushed to the rear, the contents of the furnace alwaysmoving from the front to the rear of the furnace and neverhavingaretrograde movement, as is the case in furnaces of this kind asheretofore made and operated.

The body a of the furnaceis set in the usual water-pan f, and is keptcool by water dripping upon it from sprinkling-pipes in the usualmanner.

While the furnace has been described as employed for burning sulphur, itis obvious that the same construction is useful wherever any materialhaving the same characteristics is to be burned or ignited.

I claim- The main body of the furnace, having a feed-door at one end anda supplemental chamber provided with an ash-receptacle at its other end,the floor of said furnace ,being depressed below its end portions andsaid ash-receptacle having an outlet-opening and cover therefor,substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have sign ed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES HENRY FISHy Witnesses: t

Jos. P. LIvERMoRn, M. E. HILL.

